On July 4th, Fox News Live had a phone-in topic of the day: "What would you like to declare your independence from? Tell us what responsibility you'd like to be free of."

In 1776, 13 British colonies in the Americas declared their independence from England. 224 years later, it's still not too late to lose the Revolution. Easy to do when a pampered nation does not realize what independence means, both for nations and for individuals.

Independence means accepting responsibilities. No longer relying on someone above you to make your decisions and to command how you lead your life. It means taking responsibility for your own life, for your own prosperity, and your own happiness.

How have we forgotten that?

By Melissa Roberts (Medic) on Unrecorded Date:

Jo,
I'm with ya on this one. People just need to take responsibility for their own lives. You will never be free of responsibility, it's part of being human. If working 50 hrs a week for that big house, expensive car, and designer clothes, is too much, then stop working 50hrs a week. You have to decide what is important to YOU. Lord knows I'll never get wealthy as a paramedic, but at least I know that when the week is done, I have made a difference in someone's life. Take a few of those work hours a month and volunteer for something, you'll find the experience very rewarding. Our neighbors are our responsibility as well. We're all in this together. Kindness is an amazing thing-you give it to someone and, sooner or later, it comes back to you tenfold. I guess what my point is, is stop letting other people dictate what is important to you. That's your job. Medic